Title: Trenchcoats
Summary: [AU] TRON: Legacy/2.0. (Subroutine Universe). "Trenchcoats back in fashion or something?" Sam remarked offhandedly as he flipped through the schematics book.
Disclaimer: Tron/Tron: Legacy and all things related are property of Steven Lisberger, Bonnie MacBird and Walt Disney Studios (and some other guys I'm probably forgetting but can't care to remember).
"Trenchcoats back in fashion or something?" Sam remarked offhandedly as he flipped through the schematics book.
Jet's eyes shifted from the illuminated ENCOM logo fixed atop of the sparkling business building from across the way and met Sam's amused grin with a perplexed frown. "Huh?" It was about all he could muster for a response right now.
He was dead on his feet from work and an early morning spent at Evan's from a very late night. Sam pointed to his coat, a little more than amused that his friend didn't hear him. "Your dad, Alan, he came over-" He laughed. "He was wearing a trenchcoat just like that."
Oh, God, I'm becoming my father. That was a terrifying thought.
"Oh, yeah, yeah," Jet shrugged his shoulders. His expression became mildly irritated as he cast a glance over his right shoulder to look at the ENCOM building again. "We crossed paths earlier t'day. Uh, I haven't talked to him in-" He exhaled, "-God, a year? He only visits L.A. when they need his advice." And by "they", Jet meant ENCOM's board of directors, who usurped his father's position as temporary ECO, a year and a half after his own father's disappearance.
"I figured you two were on good terms."
"Not really, Sam. Not since I accepted that internship at FCon six years ago," Jet mumbled. "Man, he was steamed."
"Yeah, but it's not like it went anywhere," Sam pointed out.
"Well, it's not like he's going to give me glowing praise for working at Flynn's when I could be putting my mind to better uses, now is he?" Jet sighed, scuffing his feet against wood floor as a way to distract himself from the conversation. "Anyways, it doesn't matter."
"I think it does," Setting the book down on the coffee table, Sam leaned back against the couch and in earnest, refocused his attentions on his friend. "Talk to me, man. What's been goin' on?"
Jet looked up to regard the younger Flynn. Besides Lora, Sam was the least judgmental person he knew. Even when they didn't agree, sometimes extremely so, Sam never let it get between their friendship. Now if only Alan could do that, they'd probably be in a better place as father and son.
Swallowing the nauseous knot in his throat, Jet prepared to tell all.
Author's Note: The following is an early version of a Sam and Jet's reunion in "Subroutine" that I ended up making a cliffhanger one shot. This entire conversation itself was originally how Jet and Sam were going move forward in the story, but a lot about their eventual meet and talk changed as the story's direction altered. Sam and Jet were on far better terms here than they are in the final version.
Originally, Jet worked at Flynn's Arcade instead of working as a video game developer. Alan and Lora lived together in Washington instead of apart, and Alan's time as a consultant was perhaps more on-again-off-again than it's implied in the final version. Jet was still estranged from his father, but more because he hero-worshiped Flynn and Alan was openly disagreeable about it.
The trenchcoat remark was inspired by a photoshoot Chris Evans (my Jet Bradly face claim) partook circa 2007 for GQ Magazine (with a wardrobe by Tom Ford). But knowing my luck, it probably wasn't a trenchcoat he was wearing.